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"Lucy, don't be afraid! Fairy Tail is the strongest guild. We'll smash those Phantom goons into pieces in no time!"
"Protecting the young lady is what a real man should do!"
"Lucy, I'm still waiting to read your first novel, so don't you dare give up now!"
"You're one of the strongest members of our team. You have to take charge of your own life!"
Not a single mage from Fairy Tail blamed Lucy for being the catalyst of this conflict. Instead, every one of them comforted and encouraged her.
Finally, Makarov raised his hand with authority and declared:
"Lucy, since you've joined our guild, you're one of us—you're my child. And no one messes with Makarov's kids! Let's go teach those Phantoms a lesson!"
Hearing their heartfelt support, Lucy burst into tears, unable to hold back her emotions.
"Master, how are we getting there?"
At that moment, George raised a crucial question.
The city of Magnolia was quite far from Phantom's headquarters, and most of the guild members couldn't fly. Running all the way there wasn't a feasible option; they'd be exhausted by the time they arrived, with no energy left to fight.
"I've heard the Council has some kind of magical device that can instantly teleport large groups of mages between cities. Do we have something like that in Fairy Tail?"
"Don't be ridiculous, George! Do you think we're made of money?" Makarov replied, waving his hand with an awkward smile.
"We'll take the train!"
He continued, "I've got a good relationship with the mayor. He'll arrange a special train just for us. That way, everyone can rest and recharge during the trip."
Since Natsu and the others had grown stronger, the guild's expenses had consistently been in the red every month. It was only after George arrived and helped stabilize their income that they began recovering financially. There was no way they could afford an exorbitantly priced spatial transporter.
"Fine, the train works too," George said with a shrug, dropping the awkward topic.
But in his mind, he resolved:
"Once I master alchemy, making magical keys for teleportation is going to be my top priority."
"Let's move out!"
With another commanding wave from Makarov, everyone charged toward the train station.
Even Mirajane, who no longer participated in battles, joined them this time. They didn't want to leave her alone at the guild, where she could potentially face danger.
As for Gajeel, who was knocked unconscious by Makarov earlier, they brought him along as a crucial piece of evidence against Phantom's assault.
When the train departed, Natsu immediately succumbed to motion sickness. George used a levitation spell to keep him floating in the air, hoping to ease his discomfort.
What George didn't expect was that, once Gajeel woke up, he also fell victim to motion sickness.
"Something's not right here," George muttered, his suspicions growing. He turned to Mirajane and asked,
"Mirajane, does Laxus get motion sickness too?"
"That I'm not sure about," Mirajane replied after some thought.
"But I've never seen him take a vehicle. He usually transforms into lightning and travels that way—it's incredibly fast."
At that moment, Makarov beckoned George over and whispered,
"Laxus gets motion sickness too. I've asked some old friends about this before, and there's a rumor that all Dragon Slayer mages suffer from this odd weakness when it comes to vehicles."
He added with a chuckle, "So, if you ever plan on becoming a Dragon Slayer mage, you might want to think carefully about it."
"All Dragon Slayer mages get motion sickness? What kind of ridiculous weakness is that?" George muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
However, after thinking it over carefully, George realized this so-called weakness wasn't really a big deal for him.
First, he could already fly, so he didn't need to rely on transportation. Second, he planned to learn Apparition in the future. Once he could teleport, why would he even bother with vehicles?
Finally, George was confident that in the vast magical worlds he planned to explore, he would eventually find a way to eliminate this flaw altogether.
As the train sped onward, drawing closer to the city of Oak—where the Phantom Lord Guild's headquarters was located—everyone's excitement and resolve began to rise.
At the same time, in Oak, one of the kingdom's oldest northeastern cities, inside the largest building at its center—the Phantom Lord Guild's headquarters—Guild Master Jose Porla was holding a meeting with the guild's Four Elemental Commanders.
"Once Gajeel returns and the plan proceeds smoothly, our next move will be…"
Jose had sent Gajeel to attack Fairy Tail's mages, knowing Makarov's fiery temper. By tomorrow, the Fairy Tail guild master would undoubtedly lead most of his mages to retaliate.
That was when they would strike. Two Elemental Commanders would infiltrate and abduct their primary target during the chaos. Meanwhile, the Air Elemental Commander would secretly drain Makarov's magic power through a sneak attack.
Without Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Fairy Tail would crumble with little resistance.
If the Magic Council came knocking later, Jose planned to spin the narrative: Fairy Tail had attacked them first, and Phantom Lord had merely acted in self-defense.
With Fairy Tail wiped out and the wealth of the Heartfilia Konzern in his hands, Jose intended to grease a few palms in the Magic Council to ensure they wouldn't face any real consequences.
"Don't worry, Master," said Aria, the leader of the Four Elemental Commanders, tears streaming from his eyes as usual.
"With Gajeel's strength, as long as he doesn't foolishly attack any of their S-Class mages, there should be no problems."
Jose nodded in agreement.
"Gajeel may be arrogant, but he knows his limits and won't take unnecessary risks."
"BOOM!"
Before they could continue refining their plans, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed from outside.
"Fairy Tail is here! Jose, get down here and meet your end!"
"It's Makarov! What's going on? Why is he here so soon? What is Gajeel playing at?"
Jose shot to his feet, startled by Makarov's bellow.
"Change of plans! I'll deal with Makarov myself. Aria, stay hidden and wait for the right moment to ambush him. The rest of you, focus on eliminating the other Fairy Tail mages!"
In the Phantom Lord Guild's grand hall—which was more than ten times larger than Fairy Tail's—mages drinking and lounging around jumped to their feet as Fairy Tail's mages burst through the doors.
Chaos erupted as the two guilds clashed, and a massive brawl broke out.
*"Flame Magic: Purple Sky Net!"*
*"Pipe Magic: Illusory Smoke Fist!"*
*"Bullet Magic: Shock Cannon!"*
*"Painting Magic: Ambition's Rampage!"*
*"Wood-Make Magic: Shy Love Dam!"*
Amid the frenzy, George finally got a chance to witness the diverse range of magic wielded by Fairy Tail's other members beyond Erza and Natsu.
While the magic wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, each had its unique charm and effectiveness.
In the ongoing battle, every Fairy Tail mage seemed capable of taking on at least ten Phantom Lord mages. As for powerhouses like Erza and Natsu, they were practically unstoppable, mowing down enemies wherever they went without breaking a sweat.
George finally understood why Fairy Tail, despite its relatively small number of members, was considered one of the strongest wizard guilds in the kingdom.
It wasn't about numbers—it was about sheer quality and strength. Fairy Tail was the epitome of an elite guild.
(End of Chapter)